Posted 14th June 2023

McCarran Act 1952

It can often be said, whatever happens in America, happens here in Britain or will happen. This analogy is no truer when it comes to the changes America made in its immigration policies. 

The immigration act of 1924 had not changed much, very much like the Aliens Act of 1915 in Britain had not changed much. But with the fear of communist subversion in America and to kerb the influx of immigrants from the newly formed nation states around the world it was high time something had to be done. 

The McCarran Act of 1952 also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was introduced by Senator Pat McCarran.

Far from averting a communist take-over the Act was very discriminatory, especially towards Asians. Each year, two-thirds of the 154,657 available spaces went to immigrants from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany. However, the act specifically eliminated previously established racial barriers that had excluded immigrants from countries like Japan and China and other Asian countries. 

These nations were now designated extremely low quotas.

In June 1952, when the bill was enacted, President Truman vetoed it. His veto was overridden by Congress, and the act went into effect in December. The McCarran-Walter Act established immigration standards for the United States until 1965, when new legislation was enacted.